mustang

Marc Hanselman of SMG gave me some beta also. You can add more 5th class climbing by going directly up the lower buttress via one of many possibilities, most looking to be lower 5th class. Above the lower buttress the ridge is less cliffy for a bit, then gets steep with gendarmes. We traversed 3rd class right, below a face, to the first shallow gully right of the main ridge. This "scoop" was mostly solid rock (not scree/dirt), and easy w/o a rope. The upper ridge changes in character to 5th class. I've heard it called 5.7. We climbed directly up the final spine (there are a lot of options)and thought 5.7 was right on in my approach shoes. The final pitch had a short steep bit with a move of about the same grade.

Next time I'd take one of the ribs or shallow gullys further right, which look to be 4th or easy 5th on solid rock with little loose scree/talus.